Attic Insulation

Penandgwen

We have had a prepurchase survey carried out on an 1990's dormer bungalow. The results of which were very good, however the surveyors report stated that as the attic space was insulted with open cell insulation, it was impossible to check out the roofing timbers. This job was carried out on behalf of the Vendor in 2017 and apparently a vent card was used in the process. The Vendor said a certificate was issued when job was completed. There are several questions we have regarding this type of insulation.

1.     In UK and NI foam insulation has become a major issue with mortgage institutions, and lately insurance companies. In the main they a reluctant to release equity as the internal roofing structure cannot be verified as being sound. Will this become an issue here also?

2.     Is there any way ingress of water via broken tiles or slates be detected before damage occurs to the roof timers

3.     If insulation companies apply SEAI grant, do they have they a duty of care/guarantee regarding problems down the line.

4.     If warranty was supplied to the Vendor does this carry through to the new owner?

5.     Should this become a Nationwide problem as in UK will the state, who are currently incentivizing this product be willing to compensate for its removal? (No answer required here!)

6.     Finally, after much research into foam installation, we would ideally like to have this removed and replaced with a more traditional product but are finding it difficult to locate such a person or company. Any help regarding this would be appreciated.

MicktheMan

1. Maybe
2. Likely not
3. Unlikely / probably not
4. Answer in the warranty documentation I would think
5. Who knows
6. Dormer bungalows are notorious for excessive heat loss by convection (aka draughts or air leakage). Addressing this weakness using insulation material is not generally the way to go. So replacing what's there now with another type of insulation material is not recommended. By all means have the foam removed for the benefit of the timber roof structure etc.

All of the comments above assume the foam was applied to between the roof rafters.

gandalfio

https://weatherseal.ie/ from looking at this website, spray foam seems safe and reliable.

'Weatherseal have selected Icynene as it is the world leader for quality and it is the only spray foam certified in Ireland. In other words, it is ideal for direct application to breathable and non-breathable membranes. This is due to its very low moisture absorption.

Icynene is the cleanest and greenest spray foam insulation on the market due to the fact that it is 100% water blown. Also, it does not contain the nasty catalyst BL-19 and is the foam of choice for the American Lung Association'

Penandgwen

Thank you both for your replies they are much appreciated.

I received a copy of Certificate from the Vendor and it states that the product used was identified as a Open cell "Bio Foam" which was applied to a depth of 100mm some areas however far exceed this amount.

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457939#Comment_121457939

Are you a cheerleader for these guys?

The certificates listed no longer apply post brexit, in any event, there is this proviso

2.1.9 Condensation risk

A CRA shall be completed at project specific design stage (see section 2.1.3). Roofs incorporating the Product will adequately limit the risk of interstitial and surface condensation when properly designed in accordance with BS 5250, BRE Report 262 and BRE Digest 369. Make suitable provision for adequate permanent ventilation proportionate to the extent of the work being undertaken, with due consideration to different warm/cold roof conditions.

Apart from this, the big issue with this stuff is that you have no ideal what was actually sprayed.

I won't specify it, and neither will I do a BER for houses that have it in the roof space.

Op I share ur view that are in the UK re this stuff. 6 years should not have allowed too much damage

Penandgwen

Thank you Calahona52 for your comment, I think you have hit the nail firmly on the head in regard to product used. We have no idea what this is.

To date we have asked the installation company if they would be prepared to remove the foam and replace it with conventional insulation, they thought this was an outrageous request. We have asked various companies and tradesmen if they would be prepared to take on such a job but as one guy said, nobody wants to be working for hours in a confined attic space.

As the foam covers the surface of the roofing timbers and there is no way that any surveyor can comment on their stability.

It is an easy but expensive process to enter an attic and pull a trigger! With the house in question it is now impossible to locate any wiring as they have been completely sprayed over.

We are not sure if the Vendor applied for SEAI grant but even so there is no inspection process in place post installation. This industry is wide open for exploitation.

We made contact with NSAI for advice. They suggested we should revert to the installation company or our local building regulator!!!

dathi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121496481#Comment_121496481

The BBA issues its Agrément certificates with UKAS accreditation (Certification Body No. 0113). UKAS remains a member and signatory of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), covering over 100 countries and regions around the world. This means that the BBA’s accreditation is recognised as equivalent to other national accreditation in product certification, management systems certification, inspection and testing.

took the above from this link

https://www.bbacerts.co.uk/news-and-media/news/the-impact-of-brexit-on-your-bba-products/